Thinking about making the move from LA to the Bay Area?
If you’re bemoaning the idea of not being in Los Angeles, by the beaches, in WEHO, or some other scene you might miss, here are a few things to consider about what you’ll love—and what you might miss—about the Bay Area.
Is the heat keeping you in So Cal? There are plenty of warm places up north both within the Bay Area and beyond. Sacramento could be your spot if more affordable housing, thriving suburbs, access to an airport and skiing, and heat are your thing. Wine Country has famously warm summers, which help the grapes.
If you’re in retirement mode, Santa Rosa or Rossmoor in Walnut Creek (a hop, skip to Berkeley) could be just the places.
What You’ll Love About the Bay Area
Natural Beauty and Outdoor Activities – So many open space preserves keep the bay beautiful and make it possible to take a quick break in nature. Nonprofits all around the Bay take care of land endowed by private landowners. From the rolling hills of Marin to the foggy shores of Ocean Beach, the Bay Area is a nature lover’s dream. Even in the Oakland Hills are trails among the redwoods, not to mention a fantastic college known for its Landscape and Horticulture program.
Whether you’re into hiking, kayaking, or simply soaking in sweeping views from Twin Peaks, there’s no shortage of stunning outdoor activities, hiking and biking trails, even the ability to walk over the Richmond Bridge and soak in the Bay views.
Cultural Diversity – Just like LA, the Bay Area is home to a rich mix of cultures, but with a unique northern twist. The culinary scene reflects this diversity, from the famous Mission burritos to Oakland’s historic Chinatown to high-end, Michelin-starred restaurants (which of course Los Angeles has plenty). You’ll get to taste the world without ever leaving the Bay Area until you head to the French Laundry in Wine Country. Diverse festivals around the Bay highlight everything from Chinese culture to Castro sub-culture.
If you’ll miss the Rose Bowl parade, it’s an easy trip back down to Pasadena!
More Cool Weather Options – If you’re over LA’s 100+ degree summer heat and the usual smog, many parts of the Bay Area can offer cooler, temperate climate. While SF is famously foggy (in the summer!), it isn’t as much as in the “old days.” You’ll find more sunny days in places like Berkeley or Oakland, where temperatures tend to be more moderate year-round, Mediterranean style. Marin County by the Bay offers plenty cool days as well as a couple of ferries to San Francisco. As you head north, to more affordable housing options, to Novato up to Petaluma, the heat returns due to the inland locations.
Towns on the Peninsula such as Burlingame and south to Silicon Valley get the heat as do cities such as San Ramon and Livermore, along with Contra Costa County which are shielded from the Bay’s breezes by the hills. Surf lovers may look to Pacifica which probably gets more fog than San Francisco and offers a fairly convenient commute to San Francisco and Silicon Valley.
Diverse Scenes and Employers – Tech, Biotech, and Innovative, Creative Places and People – If you’re in tech or just love being in the heart of innovation, the Bay Area is second to none. Silicon Valley is home to giants like Apple, Google, and Facebook, and the startup scene is thriving in cities like San Francisco and Oakland. You’ll be surrounded by some of the brightest minds in the world.
Tons of Local Food and Farmers Markets – Los Angeles has legendary farmers markets, in Hollywood and Santa Monica especially. So does the Bay Area. The San Francisco Ferry Building farmers market and neighborhood markets all over the Bay make it possible to eat local every day if that’s your thing. With small farms circling the Bay, everything from dry-farmed tomatoes to meat, blue cheese and Tomales Bay oysters can be sourced locally.
We even have a See’s Candies factory (in South San Francisco).
We Mispronounce Spanish City Names, Too! Los Angeles may have Los Feliz (Lohs Feel-ez) but we have Vallejo = Val-leh-ho, San Rafael = San Ruff-el, and Estu-dill-o street in San Leandro as well as “Ver-sales” (Versailles) in Alameda.
Somehow Santa Cruz, Palo Alto, San Mateo, Point Reyes, San Ramon and many other towns named after saints escaped the name-butchering!
What You Might Miss About LA
The Sunshine – Los Angeles is all about sunny, clear skies. The Bay Area, on the other hand, can be a bit more unpredictable, especially when fog rolls in along the coast. You may find yourself longing for LA’s endless summer days. In fact, it’s rare to find air conditioning in houses in cities circling the Bay…because we don’t need it!
The Many Highways to Many Cities – LA’s connected network of cities creates its vast, urban landscape. It also creates the notorious traffic. The Bay Area’s can give LA a run for its money—especially around San Francisco and down 880 and 101 to Silicon Valley. The Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge can be equally frustrating during rush hour. Luckily there are BART subway trains (now down to San Jose!), bike, carpooling, and ferry options. The cities are a bit more compact, so getting around can usually give you different options for surface streets versus freeways. Bay Area cities are exceptionally bike friendly.
The LA Vibe – LA has its own special energy. If you live there, you know what I mean. Then there’s the “sprawl,” with longer distances to walk and drive, along with legendary traffic. In contrast, the Bay Area has a more intellectual and progressive vibe. If you thrive in LA’s “anything is possible” atmosphere, the Bay Area’s more relaxed, casual environment might take some adjusting unless you settle into Silicon Valley.
Cultural Diversity – The Bay Area is diverse, but as a native Angeleno, I know that pockets such as Glendale, Garden Grove, and Hollywood have thriving, global cultures and foods that you just don’t have in the Bay Area. Part of it is the number of people who live in So Cal creating bigger communities. The Valley alone has a panoply of options…the middle eastern food is unparalleled until you head to the East Coast. So depending on your connection to your culture, that is one consideration when thinking of moving to the Bay.
Access to Beaches – While the Bay Area has beautiful coastlines, they’re often colder and foggier than LA’s sun-soaked shores. You might miss the easy access to LA’s iconic beaches, from Manhattan Beach to Malibu, where you can soak up the sun year-round. What I love about Alameda — where many people are buying because of all the transportation options to tech companies — is that there is a white-sand beach right there. Like, right there across from a McDonald’s and a mall featuring Trader Joe’s.
The Bay Area beaches are simply beautiful and tend to be less crowded than So Cal beaches. San Francisco has Ocean Beach and the clothing-optional Baker Beach. Up north, Stinson is tucked at the end of a long hike, the Dipsea Trail.
Never say never…
Moving to the Bay Area does not mean you “can’t go home again” to Los Angeles. I once flew to Long Beach to sing in Punk Rock Karaoke at Alex’s Bar. (Yes, it was amazing.)
If you’re looking for a new lifestyle or a new job, I encourage you to explore the Bay Area. Most of my friends grew up in the San Fernando Valley or West LA. They are foodies, writers, and marketers.
The Bay Area may offer a different pace of life, but with its natural beauty, cultural richness, and innovative energy from top-ranked universities, it’s easy to see why so many people make the move. Like I did!
Thinking of leaving California for Oregon or Washington or…?
You’re not alone.
If you’re wondering where people go when they leave California, you’re in luck. Compass has charted the interesting movements between people living in California who go to other states — and people who move from other states to California of which there are plenty!
When I visit friends in the Ashland, Oregon area, so many have relocated from the Bay Area or Los Angeles. Given that Ashland is only 5.5 hours north of the Bay Area it’s just as easy to drive back and forth as it is to drive from the Bay Area to LA.
Clients who had been looking in the East Bay recently decided to move to Eugene, Oregon instead. That’s once place that still gets plenty rain and has the University of Oregon to keep the town diverse and vibrant with the college scene. They love it.
Watch the video or check out the charts below for the fascinating data. Of course, the places people move in 2025 may change in 2025 after the horrible fires. People may opt to simply leave the United States if they can. (Portugal has an incredible 0% loan program for first-time buyers under 35 years old.)
If you need someone to help you figure out where you might love to live, I am totally happy to brainstorm and connect you. Get in touch.
Where people leaving California move to
Of course in 2025 the migration patterns could be very different after the 2025 LA fires. However these states are a likely indicator of where people may want to move. Get in touch for help deciding where to go – [email protected]
States people leave to move to California
Deciding where to live these days can be so challenging with all the weather changes we seem to be facing globally.
Even so, finding your place (or places) to plant roots whether you buy or rent can be grounding. Or, choose to nomad and meet people around the world via Airbnb or one of the other great home exchange options available.
In another lifetime, I ran a website for making life lists where people dreamed up their life goals to live rich lives. Helping people do that now as a REALTOR® and coach is my passion. I’m happy to help however you need it.
